Fire-escape.



PATENTED AUG. 25, 1903..

No. 737,197. y W. BENNBY.

PIRE. ESCAPE. APPLIOA'ITLOE` IjILBD JULY` 3 Lagoa.

s SHEETS-slum' 1.

N0 HODEIL.

win/wow FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1903.A N0 MODEL. l y 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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l Juventa wim/moco I No. 737,197. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1903.

W. BENNEY. f P1115 ESCAPE.

APPLIOAATION r'lLnD JULY 1903. A

s SHEETS-SHEET a.'

l0 HODEL.

useful Improvements in'Fire-Escapes, ofV

' a fire.

five. 7eme?.

WALTER BENNEY, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

UNIrEn PATENT OFEICE.-

` Patented August 25, leo.

',Fl'EEEsoAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,197, dated August'25, 1903.

Application tiled July 3, 1903. Serial No. 164,149. (No model.) n

To @ZZ whom/.it mctycortccrn:

Beit known that I, WALTER BENNEY, a citi- Zen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York,have invented certain new and which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thesame, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a device embodying myinvention' in position for use in descending from a building in whichthere is Fig. 2 is a side elevation of such device in the position itmay occupy when not in use. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are detail views of thesteps of the escape, showing various modifications. Figs. 7 and 8 arefront and side elevations of a balcony or platform in position for use.Fig. 9. is a front view of the, same when lowered out of` the way.sectional view of the same when lowered, and

Fig. 11 is a detail view of part of the plat-v form-operating mechanism.

The object of the invention is to provide ready means of exit fromabuilding in case of fire in such form that not only athletes, but alsoevery one capable of walking down a stairway, may avail themselves ofthe escape and at the same time to so arrange said means that when notrequired it may be folded back out of the way; and it consists in aseries of steps arranged to be swung into a spiral stairway or back outof the way and means for .operating the series from any desired iioor.

In the drawings, H is supposed to be the* wall of a house, and myfire-escape is applied thereto.

P is an upright post which is supported in any suitable manner, here bybraces B, secured to and extending from the wall of the house. 'I Y Srepresents the steps of the escape, and they consist of a tread orplatform T and a sleeve s s', usually'and preferably constructed as tworings surrounding post P,"held--in their respective vertical adjustmentby col lars C, secured to the post. It is of course manifest that thesteps might be held in place by having the bottom of one sleeve restupon the top of the next lower sleeve; but I prefer to support themindependently. I also pre- Y fer to construct the sleeve in two parts,se

Fig. l0 is a4 quickly and easily, and as one link in mechanism for thatpurpose I prefer to provide each with an aperture a, leXtendin gnearlyacross the l width ofthe step, and a lug Z, extending from eachstep to a point beyond the level of the next 'in one direction, soplaced that it may enter l the aperture t of said next step and bearagainst one or the other ofthe side walls thereof, which thereby becomesteps,v as shown. The result will be that if one step is oscillated fromone positionsay that of Fig.

-2-then as soon as its `movement has pro- Vgressed sufticientlyto clearits tread from a vertical registry with the succeeding step, and to thusconstitute the two parts of a iiight of steps naturally placed,'this lugwill engage the rear side of-.the wall of aperture a and thereafter thetwo steps will move together,

Means. ymust also be provided for oscillating theml and such actiontaking Vplace successively from the first to the second step and thenthe second to the third, and so on, the continued movement of the firststep will result in all of any given series being swung from theirpositions of vertical registry to their positions in a complete seriesof naturally-placed steps in a complete spiral stairway, as shown inFig. 1. Correspondingly when it is desired to close. them up, the rststep being swung back, its -lug will engage the front wall of theaperture a and thereafter carry along the second step, and then, throughits agency, the third, and thus the entire series may be operatedfromone point.

In lieu of the aperture a and lug Z I may employ a jointed link j, asshown inFig. 4,

with a throw equal to the movement required to bring the steps -inproper registry from their position as a series of stairs to theirpositions in vertical registry, locating lthe respective pivots at suchrelative points that in one position one will be as far on one side ofavertical line from the other as in the other IOO position it will be onthe opposite side of such line, thereby insuring accurate location ofthe respective steps in their respective positions. I also prefer toprovide a standard or balustradepost p for each step and a chainrail c,running from 011e post p to the next, the posts beingprovided with anoffset, as shown, that the steps may return to accurate verticalregistry when closed, and I find that these posts p and chain c may beutilized to swing the succeeding steps into one and the other desiredpositions, if preferred.

lVhen the stairway is being opened, the chain, then slack, will iirststraighten from one post to the next and thereafter pull after it thesucceeding step, as would the jointed link, and when the stairway isbeing closed one step having moved to a position vertically over thenext will be stopped by the post p of said next step and thereafter thetwo steps, and successively one, two, three, &c., will move together tothe closed position. If no chain is used, I may employ an offset-postp', as shown in Figs. 5 and G, to perform this function of the chain.post p' reaches from one step to a point where it will be engaged by aflange or stop f' on the next, the location of the stop and the olfsetof post p', one or both, being so calculated that each step will havethe requisite independent oscillation to give it the proper position inthe series of stairs by the time said post p' engages said stop f'.

To operate the rst step of a series, and thus move the series, I haveshown a pair of gear-wheels-one a vertical gear G, mounted on a shaft A,(supported in bearings on the post P and the house,) and a horizontalgear G', meshing with gear G, mounted on said post P and secured torotate with the said first step of the series, a crank L on shaft Abeing provided within the house or at some other suitable and convenientlocation. The gear G might readily be arranged with its toothed sidedown.

I prefer to provide a shaft and crank on each floor of the building andto operate the steps of the Hight from only one floor to the next, fromany given gear, to insure ease of operation, and to permit this and yetallow the entire escape to be operated from each point I use a shaft Aand crank L at one floor, a shaft A' and crank L' at the next floor, anda shaft A2 and crank L2 at the bottom, and as many more as may bedesired. Then on each shaft I secure sprocket-wheels W W' 72, and fromone to the next I carry sprocketchains C' C2, dsc., whereby the entiresystem is connected and may be operated from either location. Indeed,from other locations, too, as by seizing the chain at any point andexerting force in the proper direction, the axles will be caused to turnand the stairway to open or close.

To provide ready means for getting from a window or door upon the stepsof the stairway, I provide balconies or platforms, and as Saidpermanently horizontal ones are likely to be obstructed by occupants ofthe building I have constructed mine to close downward when not in useand to be opened and secured in horizontal position by suitableconnection with the means for operating the stairway.

Ilinged in suitable brackets B' is a shaft D, to which the oor F of thebalcony is sccured, the whole preferably so located that when turneddown its upper edges will be covered and protected by the window-sill wor other suitable protector. Onthis platform F is a guard-rail r and asupporting-link o", hinged to said rail and to the building. Beneath,the platform has supports, preferably two, in the form of legs f, withnotches 'n at the lower ends. The shaft D carries near each end a gearG2, and in brackets I3' are vertical shafts D', each provided with agear G3, meshing respectively with gears G2 of shaft D. From shafts D',I extend wing-supports or braces h' and on chain C', I provide a lug l',so placed as to engage with the platform F at a point on one side (herethe front) of the pivoting-shaft D. A counterbalance-weight m may besecured to platform F by a chain c', extending around and to the rear ofshaft D, and the lifting of the platform thereby rendered easier, ifdesired. Now when the chain C' is moved to open the stairway the lug Z'will approach and taking under the edge of platform F will swing itoutward and upward, thus oscillating shaft D, which acting through gearsG2 G3 will turn outward the win g-supports b', the weight m assisting inthat operation. The wingsupports will come to engagement with legs f andrest in the notches in their feet, the rail r and lilik r' being at thesame time carried to the position shown in Fig. S, and a complete andsafe balcony is provided to permit ready escape from the window or doorat which it is located and convenient access to the stairway then inposition for use. Then the stairway is closed, the wings may be swungin. The lug l' will then have moved from its engagement with theplatform, and that may be readily returned to its hanging position.

I have thus a fire-escape which may be closed into small compass andinto a position of the relative parts which avoids the unsightlycharacter of many of such devices and insures that it shall not beencumbered with articles which would obstruct its use in time of need,and yet by a simple and easy operation it may when needed be opened intoa complete, safe, and easy stairway down which the most timid may easilyproceed and to which easy access may be had.,v Y

I do not limit myself to the exact details of construction shown. Itmight be operated without the shafts A, gears G G', and cranks L. Awndlass and rope might be substituted for those devices. In fact,onestanding on the ground might seize the lower step and force it around,thus operating the others, and many other variations from my exactconstruction IOO IZO

might be utilized, and yet all be within the ries of steps securedthereon in different horizontal planes free to turn in their respectiveplanes and reaching fromone place of exit in said building to the levelof a lower openin gin said building, together with means for operatingsaid steps, substantially as set forth, whereby they may be made toconstitute a spiral stairway escape or a vertically-placed series ofstep-treads, all substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a building, of ,a

.hre-escape composed of a rigid support, a series of steps securedthereon in different horizontalplanes, free to turn in their respectiveplanes and reaching from one place of exit in said building to the levelof a lower opening in said building, each step being .provided with anaperture adapted to receive a lug on the preceding step and a lugadapted to enter the aperture on the succeeding step,together with meansfor operating said steps, substantially as set forth,whereby they may bemade to constitute a spiral stairway escape or a verticallyplaced seriesof step-treads, all substantially as set forth.

3. A swingingbalcony composed of a hinged platform, a swinging supporttherefor, means substantially as described for Aforcing said platforminto horizontal position and carrying said support under and intoengagement with said platform, thus placed, substantially as set forth.

4, A rigid support carrying a step secured in permanent horizontalposition thereon, but free to oscillate in a horizontal plane, gearsadapted to oscillate said step, a chain for operating said gears, aswinging balcony composed of a swinging platform, a swinging supporttherefor, gears connecting said platform and said support and anengaging device on said chain adapted to engage said platform,allarranged substantially as set forth, whereby when said chain is operatedto oscillate said step, said lug will engage said platform and raise itand at the same time swing the support into engagement therewith, allsubstantially as set forth.

5. In a lire-escape, a post rigidly supported proximately to a building,a series of horizontal steps sleeved thereon, but free to oscillate,engaging devices limiting. the independent and causing a coincidentmovement of one step with the next, a shaft provided with a crank and agear, a second gear secured t0 a step. and meshing with the gear on saidshaft, a chain passing around .said shaft and extending to a distant andconvenient location, a swinging platform adjacent to said chain, aswinging support thereunder, agear secured to the shaft of the platform,a gear .meshing therewith secured to the shaft of the swinging support,and a lug on said chain, all substantially as set forth, whereby themovement of said chain will cause said step to be swung into position toform a stairway and said platform to be raised and supported inproximity to said stairway, all substantially as set forth.

' 6. The combination with a building, of va fire-escape composed of arigid support, a sel fries of steps secured thereon in differenthorizontal planes, free to turn in their respective planes and reachingfrom one place of exit inv ,said building to the level of a loweropening in said building, one step being providedv with a stop and thenext with an engaging device whereby proper relative movement andposition will be secured, together with means Y for operating saidsteps, substantially as set forth, whereby they may be made toconstitute a spiral stairway escape or a verticallyplaced series ofstep-treads, all substantially asset forth.

7. The combination with a building,iof a fire-escape composed of a rigidsupport, asebe made to constitute a spiral stairway es-- cape or avertically-placed series-of steptreads, all substantially asset forth.

Aries of steps secured thereon in different hori- IOO In testimonywhereof I have signedv my name to this speciiication, in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses, this 31st day of March, 1902.

WALTER BENNEY.

Witnesses:

GEO. GRoILwrrsoN, H. J. M. YOUNG.

